UNDP in Nepal

Development Advocate Nepal April 2014 - September 2014

22 Apr 2014

Document Summary

Today social protection has a central place in development agenda. It is no longer seen just as protection for the poor but also as a way to promote growth by transforming the poor into a productive force to boost national economies. Nepal adopted this idea earlier than many other countries in the region.

The introduction of old age pension for senior citizens 20 years ago was an important beginning: that programme has been continued and expanded by all successive governments. Since then, there has been rapid growth in the number of schemes to provide relief to the poor and marginalized. Today, an estimated 2.16 million people benefit from these schemes in Nepal.

Yet, for all the programmes promoted by governments of every stripe and even with the massive growth of the beneficiary population the effect of targeted programmes on poverty reduction appears to be modest.

How can Nepal’s social protection programmes become truly transformative? What can Nepal learn from successes in Brazil and other countries? What are the areas of reform? How do major political parties plan to consolidate social protection schemes? What shape will social protection take in a federal Nepal? and what role does the private sector have?

This edition of Development advocate Nepal offers perspectives on these issues and more with the intent to spur discussion of social protection issues both broad and specific.